In the Sweet By & By

God loves to hear your singing - so sing. Rod Parsley

When I was a little girl I would spend time with my grandmother.  Granny was the kind of grandmother that all kids want to have in life.  My dad has an old picture of her and when I see that picture it reminds me of how much I favor her in many ways. 

My grandparents didn’t have much but what they had they would give to you.  I had the opportunity every summer to spend time with them every year.  It was always an adventure when you went to their house.  You know the saying that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.  That was the way my grandparents were with their grandkids.  If we messed up or misbehaved they took care of it and my parents never heard about it so you never got in trouble twice.  There was just this unspoken rule that we all knew. 

When you went to my grandmother’s house there were always homemade cookies.  She had several different cookie jars and you always knew there would be cookies in each jar.  There would be chocolate chip in one, oatmeal in another and sugar cookies in the third.

My grandparents had a lot of grandkids.  One of the things I remember was around my birthday I would always receive a check in the mail.  It was always $10.  Looking back now I realize that was a lot of money for them.  In today’s world $10 isn’t much.  I can still remember my grandmother’s handwriting on that check. 

One of the most important things my grandparents taught me was the importance of a relationship with the Lord.  There is a song by Bart Millard from Mercy Me that reminds me of my grandma.  The title of the song is (MawMaw’s Song) In the Sweet By & By.  In the song he sings about how he would sit on his knees in the pew at church trying to see his grandma sing In the Sweet By & By.  He also sings about how it wasn’t the sweetest thing he’d ever heard, but the way she sang stirred something up inside.  To see her grin from ear to ear, one thing for sure was very clear, it wasn’t just a song, it was her life.  In one of the final verses he says that times have changed and her voice is just a memory, she’s on that shore and looking down on me, I hope she’s proud of what she sees, cause thanks to her I’m walking with the Lord. 

So as the song says, “In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore, there’s a land that is fairer than day, by faith we can see it afar.  For the Father waits over the way, to prepare us a dwelling place there.   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, my grandparents played an important role in my life.  They helped teach me what it means to love You.  They also taught me that you didn’t have to have much in worldly possessions to love others.  Thank You for blessing me with grandparents who believed in You and gave me a glimpse of You when I spent time with them. 

        

Scripture: Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.  Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100:1-5